The Wyandotte news-herald., November 30, 1944, Page PAGE FOUR, Image 4

About The Wyandotte news-herald. (Wyandotte, Mich.) 1943-1963

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
PAGE FOUR
HtttS'Jfcrald
Published Semi-Weekly oy
THE WYANDOTTE NEWS COMPANY
3042 First Street, Wyandotte, Michigan
Phones Wyandotte 1166-1167-1168
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ELIZABETH BROWN Society Editor
Congress on the Air
Senator Claude Pepper of Florida has introduced a reso
lution in the Senate (S. J. ftes. 145) to put the session of
Congress on the radio. Congress would have its own station,
for it is manifestly impossible that the big networks would
surrender hours of costly time.
Broadcasting the proceedings of both Houses would
certainly put our public servants on their toes. For it would
give the voting public, as no newspaper possibly can do, a
complete picture of what goes on with the legislators they
have voted for or against.
It would let us know what debate is, and what it isn’t.
It would almost certainly shorten speeches. It would multi
ply immeasurably public indignation and enthusiasm. Peo
ple would get mad enough about things like the poll-tax,
for example, to do something about it. They might take the
trouble to encourage thejr Senators or Representatives when
they say or do something that they like.
In New Zealand the legislative proceedings have been
broadcast to the people for years, with great beneficial ef
fect to the public and the law-makers.
And when somebody says “Write to your Congress
men,’* you won’t have to look up in the almanac to find
out who he is. You’ll know him.
One year of such broadcasts would increase the voting
at the polls by millions. Write your Senator or Representa
tive about the Pepper resolution.
After the War
Fortunately while the heatjien rage and many of us
here at home seem to “imagine'vain things,’’ the war goes
on and the wicked are slowly overcome. No American has
really expected anything else. Just as Britain in her darkest
days was sure that there would “always be an England,”
but even more securely because of our .greater visible and
tangible strength in this great land, Americans have known
for a certainty that there would always be an American.
The only question is, what kind of America will come
out of this war? For it is likely to be changed in many
ways. People should be thinking about it.
What do we want, or need, in this country, that we lack
now? Do we want more government —more concentration of
power at the fountain-head—or less? These great industrial
governments known as labor unions, which now seem to be
growing so powerful that they may even shake our political
governments, what of them? And shall we cooperate frankly
and fully with other nations, for a united world, or relapse
into provinciality again?
We'd better be thinking about such things—and think
ing less of personalities and more of principles.
Youngsters Fill War Needs
Not one boy or girl in America is too young to be part
of the war effort. By the things they done, they have proved
that they, too, can help win the war and themen who are
fighting the wa .
In their schools, they have carried on the work of the
Junior Red Cross. There are eighteen and a half million of
them enrolled in that organization—they are a large army;
in*, themselves.
They are an effective army. Their efforts have resulted
in nursery homes for children left homeless in bombed-out
sections of England; in medical supplies for the children of
China; in school supplies for the refugee children of Poland
and Jugoslavia; in thousands of shoes for Russian orphans.
They have produced millions of comfort articles, games,
favors and furniture for the use of soldiers in this country
and overseas. By their efforts, they have comforted and
helped the men of our Army and Navy and the children of
Other countries who have suffered all over the world.
By carrying on so large a part of the work of the Red
Cross the children of America have taken their place on
the fighting front.
Barbs
►
The silver lining to the biggest domestic cloud is pay day.
Look at the bright side!. All that stands between us and
a hot old time is the rest of the winter.
Many people will be interested in hearing there'll be an
increase in liquor supplies for the holidays. And many of the
many will be very disinterested on the morning of January 1.
It is possible to keep so busy you have no time for bad
luck.
In just about two months every Christmas toy will have
been stepped on or tripped over several times.
Nf
Two heads, opines Granpappy Jenkins, are better than
one—especially if you are a barber.
Manufacturers’ postwar promises mean that many
nuisances found only in the homes of the wealthy will be
enjoyed by all of us.
Robbers took $286 in stamps from a store in an Illinois
town. Now is a good time for them to reform and open a
drugstore.
The WFA has put 47,000,000 eggs on the market over
the nation. And not a peep out of them—we hope!
Look at the bright side! All that stands between us
,and a hot old time is the rest of the winter.
This is the season when too many people hope the
•radiator won’t freeze until it finally does.
You can’t expect money to talk very much until it grows
up. Put yours in War Bonds!
Getting down to hard work to pay the doctor would cure
some people.
Regarding our boys overseas—to keep on their right
•ide, WRITE!
It is possible to keep so busy you have no time for
bad luek.
• so
A huge home-building program is included in post-war
1 planning. The idea, we believe, is to provide a door for
"every wolf.
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BeaADOAS'TMG Sy?TEM. (SAVE THE CjAAJS THE
OLD HOME 7DU/M 08/CAEO.A 7PEAT CLWEA) BP *o*2
cOoBM came B4C* EPQM (VESTseM M/L/TARy Academy ,
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Ernie Pyle's Slant on the War:
Crew Returns From the
Dead in Miracle Fortress
Crippled , Tiro Engines Missing ,
Left Alone to Fight Nazi Air Hordes
By Ernie Pyle
(Editor's Note): Pyle retells some of his experiences while he
was with the Doughboys during the North Africa campaign. He is
now taking a long-needed rest in New Mexico.
A FORWARD AIRDROME IN FRENCH NORTH AFRI
CA. You read the official communiques a few days ago
about a devastating raid by our Flying Fortresses on a huge
German bomber airdrome near Tripoli. What you didn’t
read, at least in any detail, is the story contained in these
next two columns.
It was late afternoon at our des-<
ert airdrome. The sun was lazy, the
air was worn, and a faint haze of
propel]er dust hung over the field,
Ernie Pyle
deal of attention, for this returning
is a daily routine thing.
Finally they were all in—all, that
is, except one. Operations reported
a Fortress missing. Returning pilots
said it had lagged behind and lost
altitude Just after leaving the tar
get. The last report said the For
tress couldn’t stay in the air more
than five minutes. Hours had passed
since then. So it was gone.
Ten men were in that plane. The
day’s accomplishments had been
great, but the thought of 10 lost
friends cast a pall over people.
We had already seen death
that afternoon. For one of the
retaining Fortresses had re
leased a red flare over the field,
and I had stood with others be
neath the great plane as they
handed its dead pilot, head
downward, through the escape
hatch onto a stretcher.
The faces of his crew were grave,
and nobody talked very loud. One
man clutched a leather cap with
blood on it. The pilot’s hands were
very white.
Everybody knew the pilot. He was
so young, a couple of hours ago. The
war came inside us then, and we
felt it deeply.
• • •
As we stood on the tower looking
down over this powerful scene, the
day began folding itself up. Fighter
planes, which patrol the field all
day, were coming in. All the sol
diers in the tent camps had fin
ished supper. That noiseless peace
that sometimes comes just before
dusk hung over the airdrome. Men
talked in low tones about the dead
pilot and the lost Fortress.
We thought we would wait a few
minutes more to see if the Germans
were coming tonight.
• • •
MISSING FORTRESS RETURNS
And then an electric thing hap
pened.
Far off in the dusk a red flare
shot into the sky. It made an arc
against the dark background of the
mountains and fell to the earth.
It couldn’t be anything else. It
had to be. The 10 dead men were
coming home!
“Where’s the flare gun? Gimme
a green flare!” yelled an officer.
He ran to the edge of the tower,
shouted, “Look out below!” and
fired a green rocket into the air.
Then we taw the plane just
a tiny black speck. It teemed
almost on the gronnd, it was so
low, and In the first glance we
could sense that H was barely
moving, barely staying In the
air. Crippled and alone, two
hours behind all the rest, it was
giving it softness.
It was time for
the planes to start
coming back from
their mission, and
one by one they
did come big
Flying Fortresses
and fiery little
Lightnings. No
body paid a great
drafting Itself home.
I am a layman, and no longer of
the fraternity that flies, but I can
feel. And at that moment I felt
something close to human love for
that faithful battered machine, that
far dark speck struggling toward
us with such pathetic slowness.
All of us stood tense, hardly re
membering anyone else was there.
With our nervous systems we seemed
to pull the plpne toward us. I sus
pect a photograph would have
shown us all leaning slightly to the
left.
Not one of us thought the plane
would ever make the field, but on
it came—so slowly that it was cruel
to watch.
It reached the far end of the air
drome, still holding its pathetic lit
tle altitude. It skimmed over the
tops of parked planes, and kept on,
actually reaching out—it seemed to
us—for the runway. A few hundred
yards more now. Could it? Would it?
Was it truly possible.
They cleared the last plane, and
they were over the runway. They
settled slowly. The wheals touched
softly. And as the plane rolled on
down the runway the thousands of
men around that vast field sudden
ly realized that they were weak and
that they could hear their hearts
pounding.
MORE MORE
The last of the sunset died, and
the sky turned into blackness, which
would help the Germans if they
came on schedule with their bombs.
But nobody cared. Our 10 dead men
were miraculously back from the
grave.
• • •
BRINGING THUNDERBIRD
HOME
The 10 men who brought their
Flying Fortress home from a raid
on Tripoli, after they had been
given up for lost, undoubtedly will
get decorations. Nothing quite like it
has happened before in this war.
Here is the full story:
The Tripoli airdrome was heavily
defended, by both fighter planes
and anti-aircraft guns. Flying into
that hailstorm, as one pilot said,
was like a mouse attacking a dozen
cats.
The Thunderbird—for that was
the name of this Fortress—was first
hit just as it dropped its bomb load.
One engine went out. Then a few
moments later the other engine on
the same side went.
When both engines go out on
the same side it is usually fatal.
And therein lies the difference
of this feat from other instances
of bringing damaged bombers
home.
The Thunderbird was forcecj to
drop below the other Fortresses.
And the moment a Fortress drops
down or lags behind, German fight
ers are on it like vultures. The boys
don’t know how many Germans
were in the air, but they think
there must have been 30.
Our Lightning fighters, escorting
the Fortresses, stuck by tht Thun
derbird and fought as long as they
could, but finally they had to leave
or they wouldn't have had enough
fuel to make It home.
THE WYANDOTTE NEWS-HERALD
The last fighter left the crippled
Fortress about 40 miles from Trip
oli. Fortunately, the swarm of Ger
man fighters started home at the
same time, for their gas was low
too.
The Thunderbird flew oa an
other 20 miles. Then a single
German fighter appeared, and
dived at them. Its fans did
great damage to the already
crippled plane, but simply could
not knock It out of the air.
Finally the fighter ran out of
ammunition, and left. Our boys were
alone now with their grave troubles.
Two engines were gone, most of the
guns were out of commission, and
they were still more than 400 miles
from home. The radio was out. They
were losing altitude, 500 feet a min
ute, and now they were down to
2,000.
The pilot called up his crew and
held a consultation. Did they want
to jump? They all said they would
ride the plane as long as it was
in the air. He decided to keep going.
Th ship was completely out of
trim, cocked over at a terrible angle.
But they gradually got it trimmed
so that it stopped losing alitude.
By now they w*ere down to 900
feet, and a solid wall of mountains
ahead barred the way homeward.
They flew along parallel to these
mountains for a long time, but they
were now miraculously gaining some
altitude. Finally they got the thing
to 1,500 feet.
Maybe it’s as the pilot said: “We
didn’t come over the mountains, we
came through them.’'
The co-pilot said: “I was blowing
on the windshield trying to push her
along. Once I almost wanted to
reach a foot down and sort of walk
us along over the pass.”
And the navigator said:
“If I had been on the wingtip I
could have touched the ground with
my hand when we went through
the pass.”
ALL ELEMENTS
AGAINST THEM
The navigator came into the cock
pit, and he and the pilots navi
gated the plane home. Never for a
second could they feel any real as
surance of making it. They were
practically rigid but they talked a
blue streak all the time, and cussed,
as airmen do.
Every thing seemed against them.
The gas consumption doubled,
squandering their precious supply.
To top off their misery, they had s
bad headwind. The gas gauge went
down and down.
At last the navigator said they
were only 40 miles from home, but
those 40 miles passed as though
they were driving a horse and bug
gy. Dusk, coming down on the
sandy haze, made the vast flat des
ert an indefinite thing. One oasis
looks exactly like another.
25 YEARS AGO
IN WYANDOTTE
A branch of Detroit Institute of
Musical Art was formed at Superior
boulevard. Under the direction of
Miss Mabel Royer, the school of
fered Instruction in piano, voice,
violin, mandolin, ukelele and bal
acka.
The city commission granted the
Wyandotte Terminal Railroad com
pany permission to lay a siding
from Michigan Alkali company
works No. 1 to connect with the
Grove siding.
A full military funeral was held
for three Wyandotte soldiers who
had died In service In Russia, fol
lowing services at St. Joseph’s
church, which were attended by the
Mayor and city commissioners. The
cortege included ex-service men In
uniform, local Legionnaires from
the newly formed post, and a firing
squad of regulars from Fort Wayne
who gave the final honors at the
graves. .
Michigan
Mirror
G«na Alleman
Re-election of Governor Kelly to
a second term has led to a move
ment among Republican leaders to
favor a four-year term for state
elective officials by constitutional
amendment. Robert S. Ford of the
state department of business admin
istration, released a prepared state
ment that he planned to ask the
legislature to adopt a joint resolu
tion whereby an amendment would
be offered the voters.
A four-year term for state elec
tive officials is opposed by some 50
members of the board of control of
the Michigan Federation of Young
Republicans, according to Gordon
Walker of Detroit, chairman. He
was quoted as follows, “If the offi
cials do a good enough Job, the
voters would re-elect them to second
terms just as they did Governor
Kelly.”
A recess of one month is proposed
for the 1945 legislative session to
permit completion of budget bills.
Governor Kelly is said to favor
continuation of an annual legisla
tive session during the next bien
num (1945 and 1946 ).
« • •
On the ground that the state
constitution of Michigan prohibited
lotterties. Circuit Judge Guy A. Mil
ler ruled in Detroit that the 1933
horse racing act legalizing betting
was invalid. The judge said the
“sensible construction of the word
(lottery) is that the people of Mich
igan intended to see to it that the
legislature should never permit
gambling enterprises in this state
whose outcome depended on the
operation of chance.” He maintained
that the state Itself was therefore
engaged in “criminal operations.”
• • •
The Michigan State Grange re
cently asked the State of Michigan
“to get out of the liquor biftiness.”
Under present control, the state
holds a monopoly on the distribu
tion of liquor. The net income or
profit for the last fiscal year was
$24,068,000 of which close to $19,-
000,000 came from the sale of liquor.
Liquor sales increased about 10 per
cent from last year’s volume.
• • *
In the meanwhile, all has not
been peaceful at offices of the state
liquor control commission. A con
troversy has existed over division
of authority between members of
the commission and the business
manager, Brig. Gen. Louis A Kun
sig. This culminated recently in the
resignation of the secretary, J. F.
Richardson, and appointment of a
successor, George E. Bullen. Rich
ardson resigned Nov. 8; Bullen be
gan work Nov. 16, and the news was
casually disclosed by Commissioner
Felix H. H. Flynn on Nov. 22.
m • •
The civil service commission has
its troubles. Members are not in
complete agreement over the consti
tutional power of the commission
in the field of salaries of state em
ployees. Alex J. Groesbeck, former
governor, is said to believe that the
commission has the authority to
require legislative appropriations
to cover fixed salaries. Groesbeck’s
resignation has not been accepted
by Governor Kelly. Labor leaders
hare proposed a SI,BOO minimum
salary and a 40-hour week with
time and one-half for overtime.
• • •
Post-war construction projects of
Michigan local governments total
$803,000,000. This information was
revealed recently when local gov
ernments filed applications with
the state planning commission for
a part of $5,000,000 set aside by the
legislature for state aid (n meeting >
to help speed the pace
THE young man in this picture obviously
is an extreme example. Our Government
certainly does not expect any of us to go that .
far in restricting our buying—even in order '
to put the 6th Uar Loan over the top.
But certainly will help -
Smake our lighting forces 3
that their sacrifices are appre- SSSUfk*-
ciated if we deny ourselves
some things could have
bought and put the money in
extra Bonds
Remember, War Bonds pay
off at maturity at the rate of
$4 for every $3 invested. Help
your country and help your
self—try to buy at least one
extra SIOO Bond while this
*h Tfrar Loan Drive is oa
y%k td+trtiitmeni prepared tntd cor.'nlutoJ to tht 6th War Lt*n Dpivt hf
THE STUDEBAKER CORPORATION
drafting costa. Don W. Weeks ia the
director.
• • •
A survey by Fire Marshal Arnold
C. Renner recently discloses that
few courthouse* in Michigan possess
fireproof storage facilities to protect
important documents such as prop
erty descriptions.
• • •
Because the snowfall last winter
was not heavy, only 33 counties will
share in the 1944 highway removal
fund, compared to 74 counties a
year ago. As the annual $200,000
distribution is based on the previous
winter's snowfall, the net result will
be to increase the amounts to par
ticipating counties. Thus. Chippewa
county will receive $14,304 compared
to $5,242 last year.
• • •
The state conservation commis
sion has agreed to buy the General
Motors corporation’s holding of tim
ber in the most rugged portion of
the Porcupine mountain area. The
purchase amount Is $476,000.
• • •
A sales tax income of approxi
mately $100,000,000 is in sight for
1944, according to Louis M. Nims,
commissioner of the state revenue
department. Tax payments are ar
riving at the rate of $97,500,000 a
year with the Christmas buying
season yet ahead. . . . The U. S.
department of commerce lias fore
cast a decline in consumer income
for 1945. Nims puts his 1945 fore
cast at $92,000,000.
• • •
The state stream control commis
sion has ordered the city of Sagi
naw to complete a sewage collection
and treatment system and to stop
dumping raw sewage into the Sagi
naw river. The commission served
its first notice in September, 1938.
• • •
Because of war-time conditions,
tuberculosis deaths in Michigan are
on the increase, so remind* the
Michigan Tuberculosis association
"SPECIAL COMMUNIQUE"
WE HAVE IT STRAIGHT FROM
'THE HOME FRONT' THAT DAD jflKjT
WOULD FEEL WARMLY RE
MEMBERED CHRISTMAS AND
ALL WINTER WITH A GIFT OF A Wk
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GOOD NEWS FOR OIL HEATER OWNERS
Our Service Dept, is now stocking Repair Parts and
will now service ANY MAKE of Oil Heaters, besides
our regular service on Gas - - Oil - - Coal Furnaces.
FREE OFFER
Know that your furnaca ic Gat
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to you will KNOW that you
and your family ara safa from
coal gas.
HAYES FURNACE CO.
1124 EUREKA PH. WY. 1540
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30, I^,
which opened its Christmas Seal
cilmpaign this week.
• • •
Anticipating the eventual enroll
ment of 50,000 veterans in Michigan
colleges and universities, the state
board of education has approved
applications of 25 educational in
stitutions to train war veterans uiv
der the Federal GI bill of right!
law.
Book
Lowers
You often find Americans writing
historical novels about England,
but it’s rare to find an Englishman
writing a novel about pioneer Amer
ica. One who has done just that and
made a-success of it is Herbert Best,
whose novel, “Young ’Un,” is a
Book-of-the-Month Club selection
for November.
“Young TJn” is a story of life in
upper New York State, about a cen
tury and a half ago. It begins dra
matically when Old Man Post drives
his oxen back to his home, to find
that his cabin has burned down and
that his wife has perished in the
flames. Old Man Post has nevef
been much of one for settling down.
When this happens, he goes off ta
the North woods, leaving his three
children to fend for themselves.
The rest of the book tells how they
made out.
The three children are Eldest,
whose real name was Elvira and
who was seventeen; Danl, a stal
wart lad not given much to words,
and Young Un, this story's heroine.
In his characterization of her, tha
author paint* an endearing picturf
of a young girl on the verge of
womanhood, tom betw-een her curi
<Continued on Page 14)
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